


Cursed or not

by DestielIsFuckinReal



Series: Season 15 codas [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Bears the Mark of Cain (Supernatural), Episode: s15e09 The Trap, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 17:07:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22466932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielIsFuckinReal/pseuds/DestielIsFuckinReal
Summary: «Are you sure?» Dean asks. To be honest, this whole Mark of Cain idea isn't sitting right with him, he's been there, he knows what that means, how thatfeels.Castiel looks up at him, «Dean, you've already taken the mark, you can't take it again» he says, stubborn, «I can, it's the only way»
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Season 15 codas [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1520546
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Cursed or not

**Author's Note:**

> So I thought, what would have happened if Cas took the mark? And this came out, enjoy.

**Day 0**

«Are you sure?» Dean asks. To be honest, this whole Mark of Cain idea isn't sitting right with him, he's been there, he knows what that means, how that _feels_. 

Castiel looks up at him, «Dean, you've already taken the mark, you can't take it again» he says, stubborn, «I can, it's the only way»

Dean stares at him, sees the resolution in his eyes, in the set of his jaw. «Ok, yeah» he relents.

They work on the incantation, transfer the spell to a sphere.

«Because I have to take the mark, you have to destroy this»

Dean nods and reclutantly takes it. Let's do this.

\---

Chuck is in a casino, Sam tied up in a chair next to the slot machines. Dean destroys the ball, ignoring Sam's protests and Chuck's smug face, and smoke envelops Castiel. He rolls up the sleeves of his coat, jacket and shirt just in time to see the mark appearing on his arm, and Dean stares at it scared more than ever for what it'll be in the future. He looks at his brother and the same fear is reflected on his face as he look at the mark, then Cas, then the mark again.

Granted, Chuck doesn't go down without a fight, using even Eileen against them with some fucked up mental trick. What he didn't take into account, though, is that Castiel is one hell of a strategist, and knows war all too well.

Castiel raises his arm, the one with the mark. Chuck smirks at him, then looks at Sam, his smirk widening at the look on his face, as if they're sharing an important secret. Castiel blasts him out of existence.

**.•xOx•.**

**Day 3**

«Hey» Dean says from the threshold of Castiel's room, «How're you feeling?»

«Fine» Castiel says. He's pressing the mark with two fingers, like he's started to do whenever its blood thirst is more accentuated than usual, trying to calm it a little.

Dean walks further inside, «Come on, Cas» he sits on the bed, takes Castiel's hand from his arm and puts it on his lap, «how are you _feeling_?» he asks looking the angel in the eyes.

«It's telling me to kill» Castiel says after a minute, «it keeps telling me to take blood, and only then it'll stop pulsing on my arm, I'm trying to resist it, I'm not human, I'm _supposed_ to be stronger»

Dean nods, «Yeah Cas, I know you're stronger, I know you can resist it, but I also know how it is, it makes you feel invincible»

Castiel looks down at Dean's hand still holding his. He nods. 

«I just wish it'll pass» he murmurs.

Dean leans in and kisses his forehead, «We'll fix it»

**.•xOx•.**

**Day 6**

Dean slams the door of the car a little too hard and leans on the steering wheel. They have the Book of the Damned, the codex, the spell, they just need a witch powerful enough to perform it, but all the witches they've met are either scared of the mark, the spell or the damn book.

Sam sighs beside him but doesn't say anything, bless his soul, until Dean leans back on the seat and turns on the engine.

«What are we gonna do now?»

«We go to Hell» Dean says. 

\---

Sam casts the spell to open up a portal to Hell using Rowena's journals and a moment later they're escorted by two of her demons to the throne room. 

«Well well well» she grins the moment she sees them, «Sam and Dean Winchester. What troubles did you get yourselves into this time?» 

«We need your help» Dean says, trying not to sound desperate.

Rowena leans on the throne, «Of course you do, darling»

Sam licks his lips before adding, almost whispering, «It's the Mark of Cain»

Rowena's eyes widen for a second, before addressing her demons, «Leave us» when they're alone, she gets up from her throne and approaches the brothers, her red dress floating behind her, «What did you just say?» she whispers back through gritted teeth, her eyes going between the two men and landing on Dean with a meaningful look. 

«Why are you looking at me like that?»

«Oh, I don't know» Rowena replies, sarcastic, «because you took it last time, maybe?»

«Well, it's not me»

Sam steps in before it can get ugly, «It's Cas»

Rowena turns to him, bewildered, «Cas?»

They both nod and Rowena looks around, expecting him to come out at any moment.

«Where is he now?» she asks.

The brothers look at each other before Dean replies, «He's in the bunker»

«He's _what_?» Rowena exclaims, her eyebrows so high they reached her hairline, «So let me get this straight, you left Castiel, an _Angel of the Lord with the Mark of Cain_ , alone in the bunker? And I presume he can either zap himself out of there or open the door by himself, no? What do the kids say nowadays, "one braincell in two and it doesn't even work"?» Dean rolls his eyes as she goes on, «Because, let me tell you, a human bearing the mark is enough of a problem, but an extremely powerful supernatural being, unsupervised, among all things, I... I can't even imagine what could happen»

«Yeah, alright, you made your point, will you help us or not?» Dean says, his patience wearing thin the longer they stay there to chit chat. And Rowena is right, God knows what Cas could do, he can take the mark just fine, but what happens if it gets too overwhelming? They can't lose more time than they already have.

«Sadly for you, boys, I don't have those powers anymore»

«What?» Sam asks confused, «How?»

Rowena shrugs as she climbs the steps to the throne, «I know as much as you, Samuel, maybe what killed me, killed me as a witch, but I don't care because it gave me cooler powers»

Dean opens his arms in frustration, «Great! Awesome! A waste of time through and through»

«I wouldn't say that» Rowena says, «why don't you try asking that cute witch, Max Banes?»

\---

«Well?» Sam asks watching as Dean ends the call with Max.

«He said he's busy with... whatever, he threw a lot of weird words around» Dean throws his phone on the table, then looks up at his brother, «seemed like a lot of excuses to me»

From his seat at the map table, Sam looks at him, his lips set in a thin line, his brows furrowed with worry. He hasn't slept for days, they both haven't, trying to find a solution to the whole Mark or Cain thing. Cas says he's fine, but Dean knows by now how to read his lies and he's not fine, far from it. He's trying to be strong for them, but he hasn't left his room since they came back from Nebraska. Dean is usually the one who goes in his room just to keep him company, to give him a hand to hold on to, because most of the times, it seems that his grace does nothing against the mark. It's dangerous, Dean knows that, but fuck if he cares, he's not abandoning Cas, not again and especially not now, not after Purgatory 2.0.

«We'll find a way, Dean» Sam says, determined, «we have to» 

**.•xOx•.**

**Day 13**

Castiel flops on the couch next to Dean, face buried in his hands.

«Look who's back in the land of the living» he says, flipping through channels. Castiel just groans in response, the uncuffed sleeves of his shirt leaving the mark in plain sight.

«You ok?» he then asks, softer, looking at the angel.

Castiel doesn't reply.

«Tell you what» Dean tries again, «I'm gonna make some popcorn and the we can watch your favorite movie, deal?»

He goes to stand up, but Castiel stops him with a hand curled around his wrist.

«Don't» he chokes out, «please, stay... With me»

Dean sits back down, puts one arm around Castiel's shoulders, still hunched over, «I'm not going anywhere, Cas»

Castiel buries his face in Dean's flannel, curls the hand that isn't holding his wrist on Dean's tshirt.

«It's gonna be ok» Dean whispers in his hair, «everything's gonna be ok»

Castiel wants to believe him.

**.•xOx•.**

**Day 26**

«Sam and Eileen are coming back from the hunt today» Dean says as way to start a conversation. Castiel just hums in response. It's one of the rare days when the mark doesn't let its presence be known, when everything's back to a resemblance of normal.

«I was thinking to cook tonight, we could hit the grocery store and get some ingredients» he goes on, «wanna come with me?»

Castiel looks up at him, confused, «Are you sure?»

Dean nods, «Yeah, it's one of the good days today, isn't it? Plus, you need some fresh air, you've been cooped up in here for almost a month»

Castiel seems to consider it before bookmarking the book he was reading, «You're right, I guess I need some time outside»

«Atta boy!» Dean smiles and pats Castiel on the arm, «Meet me in the garage in five»

\---

The supermarket Dean drives to is just thirty minutes away by car from the bunker. It's barely five in the afternoon, and the grocery store is almost empty, save for some last minute customers.

Dean is debating which meatloaf to buy between two different choices, and when he raises his head to ask Castiel, he finds him leaning on the side of the cart, eyes squeezed shut and brows furrowed in pain, gripping the metal for dear life. Meatloaf forgotten, Dean rushes to him. He touches one hand on his neck, the other on his arm, over the mark. It's pulsing.

«Cas, Cas, hey» he tries.

Castiel opens his eyes just a fraction but it's enough for Dean to see that they're shining with grace and ooh, this must be bad, this must be _really_ bad.

Castiel closes his eyes again «Dean, get me out of here» he says in a broken whisper, clinging to Dean's arm. 

«Yeah, yeah, come on» Dean says, and walks them out of the store and to the Impala.

Dean sits Castiel in the car, feet on the gravel, as he kneels before him. Castiel's breath is ragged, like he ran a long marathon with no break, he has the heels of his hands on his eyes again.

After what feels like hours, Castiel sighs and drops his hands, letting them dangle between his legs.

«All good?» Dean asks, tentatively moving closer.

Castiel nods, «I'm trying to suppress the mark's will of killing»

«I know... Cas, your eyes, they-»

«I know» Castiel interrupts, echoing Dean's previous words, «It's trying to get a hold on my grace, see if I finally snap and go on a murder spree»

Dean stares at Castiel, the bags under his eyes more accentuated than usual, the beads of sweat covering his forehead. It's getting worse with every passing day, no need to deny it now, and they still need to find a witch or a warlock powerful enough to perform the damn spell since Rowena is out of the question now, hell! they could even call in the angels for help, if they were actually willing to, before Cas goes all Murder House.

After a moment, Dean stands up, «Let's get you home»

\---

Halfway to the bunker, Castiel breaks the silence, «I'm sorry for your dinner»

«Not your fault, Cas» Dean says reassuringly, drawing slow patterns with his thumb on Castiel's hand where it's laying on the bench between them, «we can always order take-out»

**.•xOx•.**

**Day 28**

Two days after the trip to the supermarket, Dean is sitting on his bed, back leaning on the headboard, and Angry birds on his phone. Castiel is laying beside him, cogs moving in his head.

«Dean» he calls.

Dean stops the game and gives Castiel his full attention. «Zodiac?»

Castiel squints at him. In the past week Dean started to refer to the mark's blood thirst as various famous serial killers and, in Castiel's opinion, it's kinda annoying but at the same time it gives them a resemblance of normal.

«No» he says, then licks his lips, not sure how to express his thoughts. He settles for, «Remember that diner we went to five years ago?»

«Gotta be more specific, buddy»

«When you had it, when you asked me to kill you if it ever got worse»

It seems to dawn on Dean, because he says, «No! Cas, you can't ask me that!»

«I can, instead» Castiel presses on, «Dean, I feel like you're the only one I can't hurt, you're like-»

«Padmé with pre-Dark side Anakin» Dean finishes for him, running his hand through his hair.

«Yes» Castiel nods, «I can't be a demon, I need you to trap me in the Ma'lak box» he takes Dean's face in his hands, «I love you, Dean, I trust you, I know you can be the only one to get close enough to trap me in there»

Dean closes his eyes, touches his forehead with Castiel's. He nods.

Castiel kisses him, slow and soft, as a single tear falls from Dean's eye.

**.•xOx•.**

**Day 47**

The alarm is blaring in his ears, for how loud it is, the bunker's red backup lights giving the room a dangerous, borderline horror atmosphere. It reminds Dean too much of the time when he was a demon, but Sam is far more frightened by it, either because he remembers Dean's darkest days, or because he's thinking of Chuck's alternate ending of their story. Either way, Dean doesn't care because they have a much bigger fish to fry. Castiel has gone mad with power and the mark seemed to amplify his residual grace. He's trapped in the bunker's dungeon, where once was Crowley. The Archangels handcuffs and the holy oil seem to do nothing against an angel juiced up by the most ancient curse, but at least they bind him in place.

Dean walks to the dungeon, only stopping when Sam talks behind him.

«Where are you going?»

«Stay here!» Dean yells over the noise, «Don't move»

«Dean!» Sam tries again but a glance from Dean shuts him up.

«I swear, Sam»

Sam is about to argue more, but Eileen touches his arm, gently. Sam nods at something she signs, defeated, and Dean starts in the direction of the dungeon again.

From the chair where he's sitting, Castiel smirks up at him the moment he closes the door, his pupils completely swallowed by his grace a stark contrast against the red flickering lights.

«Hello, Dean» he says and it's like an overlapping of voices echoing in the chamber and Dean's head. The shadow behind him in enormous, taking up the whole wall and curving over the ceiling. He wasn't kidding when he said he's bigger than the Chrysler building all those years ago. And the wings. God. Dean's always wanted to see Castiel's wings in real life and not just their shadow, but these? They're skeletal, almost as if the death in the cartoons with the cape and the scythe had wings. 

Dean carefully approaches him, «Cas, listen to me»

«And then what, Dean?» he snarls, «Are you gonna trick me into the box? Appeal to my good heart?»

«Cas, please-»

«Don't you see? I'm finally what I'm supposed to be»

«Cas, you're not like this, this isn't you»

«Isn't it?» Castiel's voices boom in Dean's head as he yanks his restraints, «I'm a fucking seraph, Dean, I'm more powerful than any angel _and_ archangel you've ever encountered even before I had the mark, you have _no idea_ of what I am!»

Dean takes a step back. If this is how Castiel looks juiced up by the mark, he doesn't even want to imagine how he'd be as a demon. The only thought makes his skin crawl.

«Castiel» he tries again, softly, «Cas, I know you can hear me, this won't be the first time you would break free of mind control»

Castiel looks to the side, annoyed, but the grace lighting up his eyes seems to be dimming.

«Cas, please, I love you, come back to me» Dean pleads.

Castiel looks like he's struggling, he closes his eyes and his hands in fists, so tight his knuckles turn white, even the bones of his wings tremble with the effort.

«Dean!» he says and his voice is only one: his own.

«Cas?» Dean calls and rushes to him, flames be damned, «Cas, hey»

Castiel doesn't open his eyes, nor his fists, when he speaks, «Dean, in the box, _now_ » and at the last word the overlapping voices are back.

Dean is quick to work on the cuffs, dragging Castiel to the Ma'lak box the second he's free, the wings disappeared when he regained control for that split second, making it easier to trap him in the coffin. Dean closes the lid over Castiel screaming, «How dare you! I'm going to kill you all, I'm going to make you watch while I kill your brother and his bitch, and then I'll kill you too!» 

Dean sits in front of the box, hands in his hair.

 _I'm sorry Cas, I'm so sorry._ he prays, hoping it'd get to the _real_ Castiel. 

He closes his eyes, listens to Castiel punching his confinements until the alarm stops blaring in his ears. 


End file.
